A PHENOMENAL MELANGE
‘THE SPACES’ arena lent itself to an aesthetic ambiance to any chamber concerts and cool evening sea breeze of Elliot’s beach, Besant Nagar makes it very comfortable to enjoy a Bharatanatyam performance on 1st April, 2018.
Uma Ayer from Richmond, Virginia (USA) performed with alacrity in this atmosphere, probably inspired not only her, the connoisseur audience gathered too. The one & half hour’s Bharatanaatyam performance was just enough to establish her proves. Trained by Padmarani Rasiah Canto (a senior disciple of The Dhananjayans) and having attended the Naatya Adhyayana Guurkulam in Yogaville Virginia (USA) conducted by the Dhananjayans, Uma Ayer obtained a good degree of perfection in her ‘Nritta and Nritya’.
The opening item ‘Gaayiye ganapathim’, a Tulsidas poem set in Kalaavati Raag by Professor CV.Chandrasekhar Nritya composition by The Dhananjayans was a bright opening to arrest the attention of the fare gathering of artistes and general public. Followed by Nrithyopahaaram in Attana Raaga, a favourite repertoire of Bharatakalanjali was handled by Uma with aplomb. The precise rendering of beautiful ‘Jathis’ by C.P.Satyajit and the evocative singing of Rajesh, Karthikeyan’s subdued and expressive rhythmic passages on Mridangam embellished Uma’s mood and movements highlighting episodes of Srikrishna’s pranks.
The melodious flute playing of Sunilkumar in the Raag Darabari Kaanada preceding the Ashtapadi (nindathi chandanam) and follow up gave Uma ample scope to delve deep into the solemn mood of the padam, requesting Srikrishna to go to Raadha and appease her anguish. In between “Shankara srigiri’ in Hamsaanadi Raagam gave a rhythmic break.
The ‘Nrittaangahaaram’ as the finally brought the house down with enthusiastic applaud as Uma’s performance was an evening of joy and relaxation to many of the curious beach walkers who walked in casually wondering what is happening in ‘THE SPACES’.
